Packed with anti-oxidants, essential fatty acids and Vitamins A and E face serums reduce wrinkles, freckles and increase exfoliation. For best results (see them in four weeks time!) massage the serum on your face before going to bed and supplement this with a balanced diet, lots of water and a sunscreen. Dr Navin Taneja, dermatologist, says, “Serums contain anti-ageing agents in a purer form that get absorbed faster by the skin.” Pond’s, H2O+, Susan’s Soap’s & More, SkinCeuticals are some good OTC brands.
Fried food, colas, hot curries? We always tell our teenagers to stay away from these to prevent acne. Now, add stress to this list. Research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in the US confirms that stress increases acne. The study showed that teenagers are 23% more likely to have increased acne severity during times of increased stress.
The researchers observed if the sebum levels of 94 teens from Singapore increased during times of increased stress and if the increased stress impacted the patient’s acne condition. The results made the researchers speculate that stress increased facial oil secretion, and that the excess oil then exacerbated the severity of the acne. Yet, the investigators discovered that oil production didn’t differ significantly between the high-stress and low-stress situations. “Our research suggests that acne severity associated with stress may result from factors others than sebum quantity,” said Gil Yosipovitch, MD, the study’s lead author and a professor of dermatology, “It’s possible that inflammation may be involved.” The results of the study appear in the Swedish medical journal Acta Derm Venereol.
While many still consider smoking cool (thanks to Hindi movies), it’s not only bad for your health it destroys your skin. Sorry, there is no other way to say it, give it up as the connection between smoking and your appearance-as many studies have shown-is loud and clear. Smoking has more to do with premature signs of aging than you know. A new study from the University of Michigan Health System adds a new dimension to the link between cigarette smoking and skin damage. The study suggests that smoking may be associated with a higher degree of aging on areas of skin, such as that of the inside of the upper arm, that are not normally exposed to sunlight. “We examined non-facial skin that was protected from the sun, and found that the total number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day and the total years a person has smoked were linked with the amount of skin damage a person experienced,” says Yolanda R. Helfrich, M.D., lead author and assistant professor of dermatology at the U-M Medical School.
Wholegrains are like dental insurances, suggests research from McMaster University, Canada. They keep teeth healthier longer. Among 34,000 men studied for 14 years, those who ate at least three daily wholegrain servings were 23% less likely to suffer tooth-loosening gum inflammation (periodontitis) than those averaging fewer than one. Eating more wholegrains helps stabilise blood sugar levels, which have been shown to reduce periodontitis in diabetics. Brown rice and wholewheat are your best bets. Check labels for brown rice or wholegrains as the first ingredient.